Daring, Driven, Determined: Jaclyn.

By Charlotte Matthews

A toxic friendship filled with drug and alcohol abuse led Jaclyn Lee to do something big. Jaclyn began volunteering at the local Boys and Girls Club in her hometown of Newbury Park, Calif. during her freshman year at Newbury Park High School.

“I felt it was my responsibility to connect with kids and give them a heads up on what they were soon going to face,” the determined Jaclyn said. That’s why she created the Anti-Drug Reaction Project, a mentoring program to warn kids about the consequences of drug use.

“I was intent on providing guidance for the kids on which road to take because when I entered high school, I was shell shocked,” said Jaclyn. “Blindsided, I had to make a decision on which path I would travel down and fortunately, I chose right.”

Jaclyn recalled the first time she was an underdog while running for freshman class president. It was a life changing moment.

“When everyone doubts you and you come out on top, the feeling is a rush,” Jaclyn said. That experience, along with her philosophy class, motivated Jaclyn to high ambitions. She pinpoints the distinct moment, sitting in the classroom, when she realized the sky was the limit. Now she is in the process of creating her own TV show titled This Teen Life with Jaclyn Lee.

“I started to connect with the kids in my city and understand the hardships and the adversity they face,” Jaclyn said. Her goal is to create a program that lets millions of kids across the country know that they are not alone.

But producing and pitching the show has been no walk in the park.

“I first pitched it to my Public Access Channel but it was shot down by the school district’s superintendent. People in the community found the touchy topics such as self-mutilation too controversial.” Jaclyn is now working with one of KABC-TV’s top anchors to get her show on the air.

This past June, Jaclyn interned with ABC on the show Duets. Duets is a new reality singing show that features John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Nettles and Robin Thicke who search the country for hidden talents.

“The highlight is definitely the atmosphere,” Jaclyn said. “Being on the studio lot and working with the show is conducive to what I want to do.”

When asked about her goals for the future, Jaclyn exclaimed, “I want to be a broadcast journalist!”

“Having the opportunity to hear people’s stories and share them with the world appeals to me.”

About the Chuck Stone Program

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill conducts the Chuck Stone Program for Diversity in Education and Media. The first workshop was held for rising high school seniors in 2007. The program honors the legacy of Professor Emeritus Charles ‘Chuck’ Stone. In 2012 Chuck Stone scholars produced The Mix, an online publication, and a workshop video.

Queenie Byars, assistant professor in the J-school, directs the program in cooperation with the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association (NCSMA).
For more information, contact Queenie Byars at qbyars@email.unc.edu or Monica Hill, N.C. Scholastic Media Association director, at ncsma@unc.edu
or 1.888.562.6276.

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